Family Court

The Probate Court has jurisdiction in the areas of estates and trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships and mental commitment proceedings. Probate judges are elected on a nonpartisan ballot for six year terms, subject to the same requirements as other judges. A major function of the court is the administration of deceased estates. It is the court’s task to interpret wills in the event of uncertainty or conflict over the will’s meaning. The court may also determine rights to an estate where the person has died “intestate” (without a will). This function of the court demonstrates one of the important purposes of courts in our society — they make a formal record of the legal status of property.